The present invention relates to a poker game with one or more cards having a negative impact on a hand in the game.
Gaming device manufacturers strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Wagering machines such as slot machines are games of luck demanding minimal skill from the player. Card games such as blackjack and poker, however, include luck and a reasonable amount of strategy or knowledge of the game. For instance, the player is lucky to receive four aces in poker. The player should also know that it is unwise to forego three-of-a-kind to play for a straight in poker or split two tens in blackjack.
Video poker machines used for gaming are well known in the art. Most conventional video poker gaming machines used in casinos implement conventional rules for poker by dealing five initial cards face up from a standard deck of fifty-two cards and allowing the player to hold any number of the dealt cards. The player can press a draw button which causes the non-held or discarded cards to be replaced with new cards from the deck. The player is provided an award for a winning hand, if any, according to a payout table. In a conventional poker game, each and every card in a fifty-two-card deck can be a part of a winning hand if it is the highest-valued hand obtained. Even a card such as a two, which, alone, is of low value, can be valuable if it is drawn with other cards such as a three, four, five and six of the same suit—a straight flush. No card in the deck has a negative impact on the game.
A continuing need exists for different, interactive and enjoyable games which can add additional challenges to the player without increasing the level of difficulty beyond the ability of the average player to experience a sufficient level of success and enjoyment. A continuing need also exists to provide new, challenging and entertaining card games which are relatively easy to learn and play.